Thinking about the Montezuma Castle, the hot springs, the dayroom conversations where we grappled with the biggest questions of the day? Or catching-up with your friends? Working with faculty and alumni, we have developed a wide variety of opportunities for alumni to stay connected to the UWC mission and our current students!

The ARC, or farm, aims to (1) train students and community members in the skills and techniques needed to practice sustainable agriculture in an arid environment, (2) provide a place for practical, hands-on work where students can learn new skills and discover meaningful application of their classroom learning, and (3) stimulate innovation by challenging students to think about new and different ways to approach problems such as pest management, habitat conservation, and waste management.

Alumni volunteers at the farm would likely be engaged in planting, weeding, irrigating, harvesting, prepping food, helping with farm animals, trail work, and ecological restoration, as well as working alongside students. Alumni volunteers should have the following qualifications:

Willingness to perform manual labor that can be strenuous, tedious, or sometimes both

Connect with current students on Tuesday afternoon as the Constructive Engagement of Conflict (CEC) team meets to explore and discuss different current-day situations/topics. For alumni, this is an opportunity to share your experience managing conflict in small and large arenas. This 20-40 minute virtual conversation aims to:

Provide political education opportunities on campus

Teach about conflict styles, theory, and methodology

Research/teach about activism addressing different types of conflicts around the world

Coffee Tables take place two to three times per semester on Tuesday evenings in the Student Center. UWC-USA students lead discussions on various topics with a focus on current events happening in their regions. Students research their topics and deliver presentations through a range of informational resources such as PowerPoints and videos. Presentations are followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Coffee Tables give students the opportunity to develop research skills, practice public speaking, enhance critical thinking, formulate ideas, and engage in conflict resolution. Presenters and audience members strengthen skills such as deep listening and respectful debate.

Coffee Tables are a great opportunity for students to engage and collaborate with UWC alumni. Alumni participate by sharing resources and joining the discussion either in person or via a vehicle such as Skype.

Hosted on campus, Fireside Chats are opportunities for ~30 students to hear a speaker (often an alumnus/a) on an interesting topic and have a discussion. These conversations serve as a venue for students to interact with alumni in an open space. If you are planning on coming to Montezuma this year, let us know so you can share your post-UWC journey with current students. If you are interested in nominating a peer, or yourself, contact the alumni relations office for more details. P.S. Cookies and hot chocolate are served during these chats!

At UWC-USA, spring break takes the form of Project Week, during which students choose from at least a dozen trips that allow focused, practical work around specific issues or interests. These 10-day trips are required for all first-year students; second-year students may attend on a space-available basis. If you would like to host, help coordinate, or advise students in the development of projects for Project Week 2020, please contact us by November 1, 2019.

Occurring in the first semester of each year, Southwest Studies trips give first-year students hands-on opportunities to learn about the region’s unique culture, history, and geography in new and often unexpected settings. Faculty members organize trips based on expertise and interest to produce a diverse array of Southwest Studies experiences. Recent excursions have included trips to the U.S.-Mexico border, hiking in the Grand Canyon, and an exploration of New Mexico’s local treasures, including the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Bandelier National Monument, and the Pecos Wilderness. While first-year students are off exploring, second-year students use the week to focus on completing their academic and college application tasks.

If you would like to host, help co-coordinate, or advise students/faculty in the development of projects for SWS 2019, please contact us by April 2019.

If you loved your Wilderness Program experience as a student, and continued to foster that engagement beyond your two years at school, our Wilderness Program could use your help! Click here to learn about opportunities, qualifications, and more. Contact us for specific dates and expeditions.

The AIR Fellowship Program benefits both alumni and UWC-USA by allowing alumni to work on campus for a semester or an academic year on school programs/initiatives related to their field of study, interests, and/or passions. The personal contact and day-to-day involvement of the fellow with our community will benefit our students by helping prepare them to become active and engaged alumni. Click here for more information.

If you are a UWC-USA alumna/us, we invite you to help UWC-USA meet its Annual Fund goals! Volunteers use all forms of outreach—from email to phone calls—to raise money for scholarships, programs, materials, and more.

Do you remember how necessary it was sometimes to get away from campus, meet other families, share traditions, and eat some homemade food? Get-Away families provide gracious friendship and connection for our students. The relationships that develop through the Get-Away Family Program are the foundation for intercultural understanding and forge strong ties between our local and global communities. If you live in New Mexico and would like to become a Get-Away Family, click here to learn more.

Give a student or young alumnus/a a taste of your profession by offering internships at your workplace. UWC-USA alumni, parents, alumni parents, Get-Away families, and friends of the school are welcome to participate. Internships for students must take place during winter or summer break.

Advocate on behalf of UWC-USA! Ambassadors visit schools, make presentations, and serve as contact points in their local areas. Ambassadors can be alumni, current or alumni parents, or Get-Away families. Please contact the admissions office to learn more about this volunteer opportunity.

If you loved your Wilderness Program experience as a student, and continued to foster that engagement beyond your two years at school, our Wilderness Program could use your help! Click here to learn about opportunities, qualifications, and more. Contact us for specific dates and expeditions.

The AIR Fellowship Program benefits both alumni and UWC-USA by allowing alumni to work on campus for a semester or an academic year on school programs/initiatives related to their field of study, interests, and/or passions. The personal contact and day-to-day involvement of the fellow with our community will benefit our students by helping prepare them to become active and engaged alumni. Click here for more information.

If you are interested in any of all these engagement opportunities, or have any other ideas, please contact us at alumni@uwc-usa.org or call +1(505) 426-6414

“Instead of defining “close to home” as being within my country, I found that looking at the world as one community [the UWC-USA community] helped me to realize the importance of all the problems people face. Knowing and fully understanding a problem is always the first step to resolving it.”